Calgary Catholic Schools vote in vaccine mandate for all staff
CALGARY -
Calgary Catholic Schools will require proof of vaccination from staff starting immediately.
The board voted in the immunization mandate Wednesday afternoon by a vote of 5 to 1.
The mandate will allow exemptions on medical or religious grounds, but unvaccinated staff will have to test negative twice a week on Monday and Wednesday mornings before being allowed into classrooms.
"It's really unfortunate that the provincial government has put us in this position where we as individual school jurisdictions are forced to make these medical decisions," said chief superintendent Bryan Szumlas.
He added that although the system will be put into place as quickly as possible, he calls it reasonable in its accommodation of people who cannot or will not get the shot.
"If they choose not to get vaccinated then they are going to go into a mandatory rapid testing program," he said.
The Calgary Catholic School District has 84,000 rapid tests on hand to start. Szumlas says he hopes the system will be fully implemented by late November.
The board now joins the CBE and the City of Calgary in mandating vaccinations for all employees.
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